When someone has skin cancer, they might see an unusual growth on their skin. For example, breast cancer is often found when a woman discovers a lump in her breast. Because the kidneys are so deep inside the body, it’s harder to find kidney cancer just by looking or feeling for growths.
Although mammograms and colonoscopies can screen for breast and colorectal cancers, there is no screening test for kidney cancer in people who aren’t at high risk for the disease.
Imaging tests like computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can spot cancer in the kidneys. Yet these tests are costly, and they often can’t differentiate between kidney cancer and noncancerous growths.
Usually, doctors only recommend CT or MRI scans for people who are at very high risk for kidney cancer because of an inherited condition, like von Hippel-Landau disease.
Kidney cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until the tumor has already grown. The most common symptom is blood in the urine, called hematuria. If the amount of blood is too small to be seen with the naked eye, it can be found on a urine test.
It’s important to remember: noticing blood in your urine doesn’t mean that you have kidney cancer. Other conditions—from infections to kidney stones—can also produce this symptom.
Although mammograms and colonoscopies can screen for breast and colorectal cancers, there is no screening test for kidney cancer in people who aren’t at high risk for the disease.
Imaging tests like computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can spot cancer in the kidneys. Yet these tests are costly, and they often can’t differentiate between kidney cancer and noncancerous growths.
Usually, doctors only recommend CT or MRI scans for people who are at very high risk for kidney cancer because of an inherited condition, like von Hippel-Landau disease.
Kidney cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until the tumor has already grown. The most common symptom is blood in the urine, called hematuria. If the amount of blood is too small to be seen with the naked eye, it can be found on a urine test.
It’s important to remember: noticing blood in your urine doesn’t mean that you have kidney cancer. Other conditions—from infections to kidney stones—can also produce this symptom.
No comments:
Post a Comment